art-program

There is a new artists' colony taking shape at ESR's Stillwater site thanks to a new venture that incorporates arts into the program day.

The Artworks program, a collaboration between ESR and Stepping Up Moving Forward, uses theater, music and visual arts to guide participants through a process of discovery and artistic expression.

Led by consultants from area arts organizations and ESR staff, the Artworks curriculum follows a specific theme that changes each quarter. For instance, this quarter (January through March) features discovery about "me." In the visual arts class, self-portraits are being created; while in the music component, participants are celebrating themselves in sound by considering the beat of their hearts and the different sounds their voices can make. Theater participants are exploring facial expressions and recalling favorite memories by acting them out for others.

One recent challenge for drama participants was to become an umbrella. The three participants chose various movements to express their ideas of what an umbrella looks like. It became far more challenging for the three of them to work together to form a single umbrella. Amidst their giggles, they figured it out.

Artworks sessions take place Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays. Participants choose whether they wish to be involved all day or just a portion of the day.

For more information on Artworks and how to enroll, please call ESR Director of Operations Sara Hasslen at 651-351-0190, ext. 22.